Lake Ames and a New Camera Ready for Action

Three consecutive outings, skunked. Lake Ames, apparently, hasn't many fish. Thick cloud cover roused only two takes, Senco, from small bass. Both dropped the worm. First time this year I've been skunked more than twice running, which matters less than that this afternoon's break felt nice. I caught the flow. Those of us who say fishing isn't catching are wise, because fishing is mostly an attempt. So if you enjoy only the catch, you're missing out most of the time. Not that I'm full of illusions. I feel the same pangs and frustrations we all do at least in some measure. But the best antidote to getting skunked is to fish well.

Nikon D-60 arrived. Battery's charged and SDHC card formatted, camera ready to go in shoulder bag. Depends on weather tomorrow whether or not I fish South Branch. A flood warning got posted today for Morris & Somerset, which I thought was bogus. And no such rain ever happened to make flood imminent, so some mistake was made. But enough could fall to raise river level.

I'm smelling pine scent! My son goes away to BSA camp in the Adirondacks soon. I opted out of going with him this year, but right now it almost seems I should have signed on. I wonder if the lake is as tannic as Lake Ames. My suspicion, anyhow, is that the PH level isn't right for a large fish population. And although I hear so much about pickerel in the Pine Barrens, most ponds I've come upon seem to have very few. Not that great pickerel don't exist, but for whatever specific reason(s), most tannic waters don't lend themselves to fish abundance. I doubt I will ever return to fish Lake Ames.

When Bass Vacate: Round Valley Later in Season, Abandoned Surf

Most of the stripers are gone, and largemouths move into depths and thick cover during day. It seemed a lot easier to catch bass at Round Valley a month ago. And Island Beach was barren Sunday, at least the strip in our vicinity produced no hits for anyone.

An hour or two before I got to Round Valley an overcast sky seemed promising, and I hope I never arrive to such blazing sunlight for the rest of the summer, it's no use. But the Raritan River South Branch will keep smallmouths active throughout virtually any day, and I intend to fish it more than Round Valley.

It may be a few days or more until I have more photos for my site, I need a new camera. But perhaps I'll post without photos until once again I'm all set. It's been very enjoyable for me to keep this blog, and I hate to take a hiatus with any part of it, since I value the images a great deal. Just happens to be a problem right when I got skunked two days consecutively. I'm sure it will all get straightened out in fairly short order.